The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-04-13
THE FARM BUDGET.
Too Rich Cattle FOOd-Sssding POULTRY
Tree Planting.
Selling Cows-Butter-Testing Seed-Pre-
serving Eggs-Poultry and Farm Notes
Household Hints-Etc Etc.
Too Rich Cattle Food.

Practical men and food providers have
entertained an erroneous idea OF the in
gradients in food that may properly be
deneminated rich in the sense of being
very nourishing and expensive. How
common it was for old housekeepers to
speak of grease or sugar In food, as con-
stituting richness, and their absence as
leaving food poor. Modern scientists have
reversed the meaning of the term, and
show that carbon, which is leading ingre-
dent in grease CT sweets, is one OF the
most plentiful and cheapest of elements,
and that while 1t maintains an important
place as a sustainer of animal heat and
animal force, in the business of nourishing
and building up the muscles and nerves,
the machinery Of the body, nitrogen per-
forms a much more important Office. At
the same time il is one of most costly of
the elements entering into the composition
of animal bodies.
While writer's on stock feeding have
dwelt on the importance of increasing the
nitrogen ratio in stock rations, but little
has been said, by way OF warning, of the
danger OF overlooking heterogeneous COM
pounds. They have generally held that
one part OF albuminoids TO five or six parts
of carbohydrates is a desirable ratio in q
good ration, but they have said little or
nothing of what the consequence might be
should the proportion OF albuminOids be
increased.
The New York State Experiment Station
received a package Of food, the feeding Of
which has resulted IN the death of several
cows. and the dairyman was anxious to as
certain whether it contained poison or not.
The package contained one OF the refuse
materials of a starch factory, usually
known as ''gluten meal" AS the proper
tests tailed to find poison in the package,
the conclusion arrived at was that death
was caused by the injudicious feeding of
ration too rich in albuminoids. We copy
from the station bulletin:
IAN ordinary feeding ration contains
about one and one half pounds, or less OF
albuminOid. The eight quarts Of this feed
under review weighed about eight pounds
and contained about one and three-fourths
pounds OF albuminOid, while the hay, meal
and bran fed in addition most probably
contained at the lowest estimate q pound
or more. We have hence as probable
amount fed regularly and for long period,
about three pounds of slbuminoid daily,
an amount which experience has shows
is likely to produce sickness, ana II fol-
lowed up, death.
THE conclusions which may be deduced
from experimental feeding may be modi-
fed considerably by the extent OF the
herd. The constitutional character of
COWS differ greatly, and the practice OF
feeding which may De injudicious for the
average COW may be apparently not pro.
ductive of harm when applied to an ami
NAL OF strong digestive powers. Thus, in
my own herd, in which careful record
was kept of the amount and character OF
the food for SCI les of years, it was found
that while some cows could be fed eight
quarts daily of Gotten seed meal for long
period without apparent injury therefrom.
yet the average feeding of this material
could not be in excess of Two quarts daily,
with other food, without the appearance
in some animals of i'll results, and the
feeding of four quarts daily to the herd re-
suited in the death OF two animals with
the symptoms as described by our CORE
spondent.
THE feeding of grain or OF a highly
heterogeneous food is always dangerous when
carried to excess. Thus we all know that
if a COW gets loose in the night and obtains
access to the grain bin, injurious effects are
very likely to follow. and we never think
of calling the meal poisonous IN these cases.
In like manner the overlooking of cotton
seed meal, one of the most valuable foods
for the dairyman to use mot to abuse) is
apt to be followed by injury. This gluten
meal that we are examining seems to fall
into the same category of being a valuable
food in Us proper use. When results such
as these quoted follow the feeding of these
highly heterogeneous foods, we therefore
should not De too ready to suspect poison,
as it is more reasonable to ascribe the i'll
effects which follow the feeding to in.
judicious feeding, and the blame sh Ould lay
upon the feeder"